Breast cancer care in Indiana

Oncologists and cancer care teams at Ascension St. Vincent deliver compassionate, personalized breast cancer care focused on you.

Breast cancer care in Indiana

Breast cancer is personal — and so is the way we care for you at Ascension St. Vincent

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Breast cancer care at Ascension St. Vincent

At Ascension St. Vincent in Indiana, our experienced breast cancer specialists are part of a national team of doctors, sharing best practices and advanced treatment options for breast cancer — bringing the best of oncology care close to home.

When you choose Ascension St. Vincent, you get a multidisciplinary team of doctors that prioritize early and personalized treatment, including board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgeons, breast radiologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, along with a care navigator and a dedicated team of oncology nurses, dietitians and cancer specialists.

When you’re going through breast cancer, we’re by your side

Cancer is personal, and so is the way we care for you. At Ascension St. Vincent, you’re never alone. You’ll have face-to-face visits with your doctor and an entire care team, dedicated to your care — connecting the dots for you.

Your doctor and care navigator will take the time to answer all your questions — big and small. By getting to know you and working together, your care team develops a plan based on your goals and needs. And with a plan, comes hope. Our goal is to help you recover faster so you can get back to your daily life.

Your breast cancer treatment team

A team approach that helps navigate tests and support services

Along the way, your care may include imaging, lab tests, pharmacy support, physical therapy or other speciality services. You do not have to navigate your care alone. Upon your cancer diagnosis or when you come to us during your cancer care, you’re paired with a cancer care navigator to help coordinate appointments and connect you with the services you need.

Types of breast cancer

Your doctors and care team at Ascension St. Vincent deliver a customized care plan for your cancer journey. We treat all types of breast cancer, including:

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Noninvasive breast cancer in the milk ducts
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): Cancer that has spread into breast tissue beyond the milk ducts
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC): Rare, invasive cancer that blocks the lymphatic vessels in the skin.
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): Cancer that begins in milk-producing glands
Male breast cancer: Cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men
Metastatic breast cancer: Also known as stage 4 (IV) breast cancer, advanced cancer that has spread to other organs of the body

Diagnosing breast cancer

Cancer specialists who know you and your condition review your treatment and progress. Your care team focuses on identifying whether the tumor is noninvasive or invasive, determining where the tumor began and whether the cancer has spread. We use advanced molecular and genetic testing to help guide treatment planning.

To diagnose breast cancer, your doctor may recommend testing, such as:

The latest imaging supports mammogram screening and diagnostic tests for advanced care, including 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and magnetic seed and needle (wire) localization biopsy.

This new and innovative customized blood test is used to detect if breast cancer has come back after treatment. Cancer cells shed fragments of their DNA into the blood as they grow. This is called circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA. Breast cancer studies have shown detection of ctDNA recurrence up to 10.5 months before imaging.

If you want to learn more about other cancer care options or would like to participate in one of our ongoing clinical trials, talk to your doctor to see what is available for you.

MELODY (EUBREAS 4): The MELODY study compares imaging-guided methods used to locate nonpalpable breast cancer before surgery. Researchers are evaluating the safety of these methods and their effect on patients’ experiences and outcomes.
ENCORE: The ENCORE study evaluates precision oncology and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) tests in patients who have breast cancer or have completed treatment. It also includes patients receiving Signatera ctDNA testing to monitor for molecular signs that cancer may have returned.

A molecular diagnostic test to help guide decisions about whether radiation therapy is needed after lumpectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ.

Blood tests can give your doctor a lot of information. They can detect whether certain elements in your blood are in a normal range, and can help confirm or rule out certain conditions.

If you have a higher risk or family history of cancer, your doctor may recommend genetic screening, testing or counseling.

At Ascension St. Vincent Carmel Women’s Center, we offer a comprehensive approach to identifying and monitoring your risk for developing breast cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, we specialize in assessing your risk, coordinating cancer genetic screenings and managing benign breast diseases.

Breast biopsy tests are used to evaluate breast cells and help your doctor confirm your diagnosis and cancer stage.

Treating breast cancer

Our highly skilled breast surgeons at Ascension St. Vincent offer leading-edge techniques and personalized care to treat breast cancer. Your treatment options for breast cancer may include medication, therapy or surgery.

Breast reconstruction is surgery to create a new breast shape in place of a breast that has been removed (mastectomy). It can be done with implants or with tissue from another part of your body. Sometimes both are used to rebuild a breast shape. The breast mound created comes as close as possible to the shape and look of a natural breast.

Surgery may be done to reconstruct either one breast (unilateral) or both breasts (bilateral). The goal of the unilateral reconstruction is to create a breast mound that matches the other breast. If both breasts have been removed, the goal of the surgery is to create both breast mounds about the size of your natural breasts.

This type of surgery, also known as a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, only removes the tumor in its entirety. The goal of this surgery is to remove the cancer, while saving as much of the healthy breast tissue as possible. Our surgeons can discuss immediate breast reconstruction, including consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Hormones are chemicals made by glands, like the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries and testicles. Hormones help some types of cancer cells grow. Some cancers that might be sensitive to hormones and be treated with hormone therapy include breast, prostate, thyroid, endometrial, and adrenal cancers. Hormone therapy can make the cancer cells grow more slowly or stop them from growing.

As a cancer treatment, hormone therapy may mean taking medicines that block the activity of the hormone, prevent the body from producing the hormone or alter the hormone. Sometimes hormone therapy involves surgically removing the gland that's making the hormones.

During a mastectomy, your surgeon removes all or part of your breast or breasts to treat breast cancer. There are several types of mastectomy, including total mastectomy and partial mastectomy. Your breast surgeon will discuss your options with you.

Helps restore breast sensation after certain mastectomy procedures. During a mastectomy, nerves are cut and removed with the breast tissue and this can lead to a large area of numbness and/or tingling at the mastectomy site. For nerve reinnervation the targeted nerves are dissected free from the surrounding tissue and those selective nerves are repaired by the plastic surgeon to help restore sensation to the mastectomy site.

Specially trained physical therapists deliver therapy to help manage lymphedema symptoms, such as swelling and pain.

Advanced radiation therapy is used to target and destroy cancer cells while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.

Ascension St. Vincent Cancer Care provides virtual education and support programs at no cost to you. We offer weekly cancer support groups, a caregiver group, art classes, meditation and a variety of educational programs. All events are virtual, so you can participate from the comfort of your own home.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that boosts your body’s immune system to help it recognize and attack cancer cells. It uses substances that are either made in the body or in a lab to shrink tumors or slow tumor growth.

Frequently asked questions about our breast cancer care services

Surgical oncologists and anesthesiologists provide enhanced recovery pathways as part of your surgical care plan. They are an important part of our cancer treatment programs. Each pathway is personalized for different types of cancer treatment, to help speed up your recovery after surgery. Your care team uses these protocols to help you prepare for what to expect before, during and after surgery.

At Ascension St. Vincent Cancer Center, your doctor and care team get to know you well, and you’ll receive care for the whole person — from physical health and well-being to mental and emotional health to support for your family and caregivers. We provide innovative medication treatments, the latest surgical technologies and techniques, high-tech radiation facilities and support services. Our breast surgeons are part of a national team of cancer specialists sharing the latest in cancer care knowledge and research.

Our Indianapolis breast cancer specialists offer many advanced treatments, including:

Breast MRI
Breast-conserving surgery
Breast reconstruction and reshaping
Breast ultrasounds
Chemotherapy
Hidden Scar™ breast surgery
Hormone therapy
Immunotherapy and advanced targeted drug therapy
Magnetic seed or wire localization
Minimally invasive breast biopsy
Percutaneous needle biopsies
Radiation treatments (including brachytherapy, external beam, stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiation therapy)
3D mammograms

Getting regular breast health screenings and health check-ups may help find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. We recommend women get a mammogram each year, starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. When you choose women’s health and breast specialists at Ascension St. Vincent Cancer Care in Indianapolis, Indiana, for your care, you are connected to all the care you need – from routine screenings to advanced care.

We can connect you with resources and programs that may be able to help you and your family with options for financial assistance. Our financial counseling team is here to listen to your concerns and work with you to help find options that meet your needs. Your cancer care navigator can connect you to a financial counselor.

Featured locations

Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent - Carmel Breast Care
13420 N. Meridian St.
Carmel, IN 46032

Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent - Evansville Cancer Care and Hematology
3699 Epworth Rd.
Newburgh, IN 47630

Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo Cancer Center
1907 West Sycamore St
Kokomo, IN 46901

Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent - Fishers Breast Care
13914 Southeastern Pkwy Ste 302
Fishers, IN 46037

Ascension Medical Group St. Vincent - Kokomo Breast Care
305 S Berkley Rd Ste 100
Kokomo, IN 46901

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